We Say The Shit You Won't

Frequency First Impression: An Avalanche of Feels

Sometimes you watch an episode of a TV show, the Pilot, in this case, and you can get technical. You can talk about super writing, acting and/or directing. You can point out mistakes and/or things that the show could have and should have done better. Other times, however, the show just pulls you in, and you can’t think straight. All you can do is feel.

That’s what happened to me with Frequency.

It’s a weird feeling. I fall in love with shows often, but even those shows that I would now fight tooth and nail for haven’t had this kind of impact on me. Frequency was just a sucker punch to the gut from the first moment, and though my eyes were glued to the screen, I might have missed one or two moments while I was wiping away tears.

Because yes, there were tears. And screams. Also a little bit of singing. And, at the end, there was a definite desire for more. Frequency, for me, is the must-watch show of the new season. And that’s not just something unexpected, it’s something amazing.

I’ll have a box of Kleenex ready.

Here are five takeaways from the Frequency pilot:

1. This is not just about a show about changing the past, it’s about taking advantage of the time you have.

You love someone? Tell them. Someone hurt you? Talk it out. You never know when life will deprive you of the opportunity to do so. And, unlike Raymi Sullivan, we won’t get another chance. So, take advantage of the moment and tell the people you love that you love them. Don’t take things for granted. Don’t wait. Life’s too short for any of that.

2. Father-daughter relationships on TV have never been quite like this.

Raymi Sullivan and her father come together over a radio, and yet they are not truly father and daughter then. Frank Sullivan doesn’t have an adult daughter when he makes contact with Raymi and she has never had a father. So the relationship is somewhat different from what we’re used to seeing on TV. It’s also complicated by years of misconceptions on Raymi’s part.

Frank and Raymi have to get to know each other, learn how to trust each other, and, of course, find out how to work together, all before they can ever get to explore the people they are and their connection. And that makes this relationship unique and interesting.

3. Sports and music ground Frank’s story, and the choice is spot on.

We all remember the 1996 World Series. Fine, maybe we don’t all remember the 1996 World Series, but this Braves fan surely does. I remember it as my introduction to pain by sports. And though the producers insisted they can’t change the outcome, I still felt very connected to this father and daughter who bonded over sports.

I bonded over sports with my dad. I lost my dad. Frequency hit all the emotional notes for me, and I think it’s ready to do the same for anyone who’s ever lost someone, anyone who’s ever loved sports (and/or music). Because, maybe you don’t remember the 1966 World Series, but you do remember singing aloud to Wonderwall, right?

Right?

4. Changing the past is a complicated thing

Not to spoil anything, but we can all figure out where this is going. Changing the past sounds like a wonderful thing, but there are consequences. And though Frequency is not strictly a time-travel show, it does better than some time travel shows with the two things we need for time-travel to work: rules and consequences.

This bodes well for us, and bad for our feels. So hand on tight to your seats, people. We’re in for quite a ride.

5. This is not a closed story, no. We want more.

The premise of the Pilot can make this sound like a closed story. Frank and Raymi meet, they change the past, and that’s it, right? That was the movie. And yet, there’s so much more to come. There’s so much more to be excited for. I had many feels, but I will also admit that, fifteen minutes into the Pilot, I wondered where they could take this to make it sustainable over a season.